A Different Life II

[Hittenstiehl]

Oh my still snow.

Interesting how spoiled we can get living in moderate climates. We have spent our six weeks in long pants and are back in shorts again. We did have quite a chill this year but for the most part will just have cool evenings and then back back to warm weather.

Thank you for sharing the highlights of your Paris trip. You did very nice write-ups with just the right amount of pictures to round out the images for us. It was wonderful to follow along and your pictures brought back beautiful memories.

Stay warm.

[Hittenstiehl]

PS

Could you expound a bit on some travel tips?

What did you decide for phone coverage /usage and how did that work out for you.

How did you decide to do your money / credit card usage.

Thx.

[Lily&Me]

Thanks, Hittenstiehl.

It was fun going, fun being there, and fun writing and posting about it.

As for travel tips...hmmmm.

I have Verizon, and after talking with them at length turned their travel plan on for France beginning the day I arrived and ending the day I left.

$10 a day, and well worth it. I initially thought I wouldn’t activate it every day, then quickly realized there is a deep feeling of security that comes from having a working phone when you are thousands of miles from home and on your own.

I used it every day, for texting, taking pictures, for Uber, for using my most excellent Pocket Earth app, some search functions, and my friend and I texted/called each other often to make plans for the next day or whatever.

I took with me my extra battery pack, and did use that several times.

You never know what a day might bring, and don’t want to be looking for a way to charge your phone.

I got $200 in Euros thru my bank before I left, which had no service fee and the money was there in a day.

I used both my credit and debit card, at the grocery store, museums and for meals, and with those the cash I took lasted my entire 10 days. I had a couple of Euro in coins left when I got home.

I had no problems using either card. Both are set up to send me an immediate notification for any transaction, and I had notified them I would be in France.

I have a leather wallet on a strap that I’ve had probably 20 years, and kept cash, cards, identification, etc., in there, across my body and under my coat.

My coat has a zippered inner pocket, where I carried my passport and extra cash. Every day, all day, any time I was out of the hotel. Didn’t want to be caught without my passport if there were any issues, and I know someone would have had to roll me pretty hard to get anything important off of me.

I also had a small Baggalini bag I wore across my body and outside my coat, with the battery pack in it, pen and paper....never travel without pen and paper...lip balm, a small medical kit, things like that.

I take carry on luggage only, wear clothing several times and wash undies out in the sink.

We heard from several different people while there that Paris is very safe, and that was our experience...but for your pockets, which must always be watched.

We had no problems, and tho I didn’t use an ATM my friend did and had no issues.

Tho I used Uber from my hotel without any problem, and really, really like that it is already attached to your credit card, the location part of their app doesn’t work well in Paris...best to type in an exact address where you want to be picked up, as what works like a homing beacon with our phones here is not as trustworthy over there. It’s an Uber problem in Paris, the drivers said.

Parisians are friendly and many speak English, the food is good, fresh and not overpriced. I kept yogurt and juice in my frig for breakfast/taking morning meds, and cheese and wonderful hard salami sticks if we didn’t go out for dinner but I needed something.

Seriously, I am an old woman to be walking on uneven and cobblestoned surfaces for hours and miles, and was pretty done in by nightfall. Legs and back ached, but by morning I was ready to go again.

There is a strong police presence in certain parts of the city...uniforms carrying machine guns, and we were aware several times of long streams of vans carrying police, sirens blaring, heading somewhere...probably to quell demonstrations, we were told.

We used reasonable precautions and never felt unsafe.

If anyone is thinking about going to Paris, my hotel...Les Jardins du Marais...has sent me a VIP code... WBACK...that can be used by friends and family for their best rate/10% off a stay.

It was a lovely hotel, with a laundromat close by, a nice little bakery, metro stop, and lots of good restaurants within walking distance. I also had an espresso machine and water kettle in my room, and a gift basket of fresh fruit.

Paris is a beautiful city, full of history and gorgeous architecture.

So go, and tell them Maggie sent you.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

So I got a call this afternoon from the place that has the Interstate, and everything looks pretty good but for the right headlight encasement...which is not the correct word, I know, but whatever holds and surrounds the headlight.

It has moisture inside it, something is cracked, but they found an aftermarket part and it is on order. Should be in on Monday.

I had asked Jon to also look at the housing for the engine battery, as I had been told it was rusting and would need to be replaced...he reports it may have a little life left in it, but is definitely on its way out and so that part has also been located and is on order.

While he is underneath, he is taking a flashlight and examining everything he can see, mechanical or RVical, for rust, wear, holes, degradation, any indication work is needed.

He will take pictures of anything he finds.


It was -4 degrees here this morning, and we’ve been inside with the wood stove since dropping the Interstate off Wednesday morning. Brrrrr.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Got the Interstate back yesterday afternoon, and we had thankfully had a few days of above freezing temps so the snow and ice had cleared from my driveway.

Up early this morning...still struggling with jet lag, still waking between 2-3am ...loaded the frig, got clothes in the closet, set everything else inside in bags in 19 degree temps, and we headed south.

Took about three hours once parked today to unpack and get settled in, Lily has had a walk and we should sleep well in our traveling bed tonight.

She is happy to be going bye-bye in the Interstate, and so am I.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

We drove across Tennessee on 24 yesterday, in rain, snow, heavy snow or heavy rain-snow mix, all day long, one of my worst driving days EVER.

The highway was full of traffic, lots of big trucks, but people were being careful, no one was slipping and sliding, so we just kept on going.

I stopped to top off the fuel tank, in case we got stranded somewhere, but there was no place really to stop...Doug may have been my copilot yesterday, and got us safely to our destination near Chattanooga.

Yikes.

This morning...after a second trip to WalMart, as I keep discovering things forgotten or out of, like latex gloves ...a clear and sunny day, I have flushed winterization fluid and then fresh water thru my plumbing system, got under the rear bench to turn hot water heater valves this way and that, and after only modest frustration and consulting of my winterization/dewinterization list, I can safely say that I have successfully dewinterized once again.

No leaks, no burst anything, so I apparently did it right last fall.



Need to sanitize the system and flush that out, then should be set for the season.

Sigh.

Doug would say “don’t feel sorry for me, I feel sorry enough for myself”.

All part of the privilege of travel.

Maggie

[Hittenstiehl]

You've done good!

Many a person would have quit traveling rather than tackle these things by themselves. Perseverance is a good trait.

Wishing you peaceful days with walks, relaxation reading and yarn.

[Lily&Me]

Thank you, Hittenstiehl.

I was hauling stuff out on Monday, and it’s so ******** cold, and I’m talking to myself...if I want to travel, I have to load the Interstate.

Or unload the Interstate, empty the tanks....whatever.

I’m not ready to stay home, and having this rig and the ability to go and do is a privilege. It is.

I remind myself of that as I struggle thru the all of it, in the after.

Do it, or stay home.


My friend still in Paris would really like to stay longer...but, you know, I reminded her that a month there is a once in a lifetime opportunity, to embrace that and be grateful.

We can’t have it all, most of us, but we can have a piece, if we are very fortunate, the stars have aligned, Buddha has smiled, etc.

I’m putting water in the fresh tank this morning, so that I can, ya know, deal with dewinterization and sanitation, and I could hear a cardinal just singing it’s little heart out.

I couldn’t see it, but smiled and said hello.

Maggie

[Gearheart]

We heard about that nasty storm even up here in the Great White North. I was hoping you would have been safely ensconced on the beach. Glad you managed it okay. I might have hunkered down for a night at a Walmart. Glad you are safe.

[Lily&Me]

Too cold, really, to be without electricity, in the 20’s at night, as I knew my propane was down by half or so...meaning just a couple of gallons for me.

We made it, are at this moment waiting at a Blue Beacon near Atlanta for a good scrub and undercarriage wash.

I loooooove Blue Beacon.

Not due at Edisto for a week yet.

Maggie

[Mansderm161]

I'll miss you, Maggie and Lily, at Edisto this year. I had too much going on. My oldest son proposed, so I'm back and forth from SC to Ohio to help with planning. Have fun. Hopefully our paths will cross before next year, otherwise, I'll see you there next year.
Debbie

[Lily&Me]

Sorry to miss you, Deb, as I was looking forward to hearing about your travels, but a wedding will be so much fun for you!

Hope all goes smoothly.


We spent the last two nights at Mistletoe State Park in Georgia, which was lovely and allowed me to clean a bit and finish the dewinterization/sanitation process.

Emptied my holding tanks at the dump station this morning and then COULD NOT get the sewer hose off it’s connection under the Interstate.

Wrestled with it a good 10-15 minutes...I mean I DID get it on there ...both hands, with me braced by my head against the Interstate, left hand, right hand, whacked at it a little...including nearly standing on my head to look underneath and try to figure out what the problem was.

I still don’t know why it wouldn’t come off, but the nice gentleman I borrowed briefly from his wife also struggled to get it off.

Having stronger hands than me, however, he was finally successful.

I maybe need to coat the parts with silicone spray or something. I have a can.

Yikes.


We are near Charleston for the rest of the week, didn’t want to wander, we’ve driven enough, just drove in and we will stay put until Sunday.

Lily will be delighted not to be driving, and I’m going to pull out the grill tomorrow and do a little cooking.

I have needed heat and warm clothing since we left home, but suddenly it is spring here, with flowers blooming and very mild temps.

Such a beautiful part of the country.

Maggie

[mimiandrews]

I don’t know if it would work for your setup, but I carry a couple of strap wrenches to use on stubborn sewer connectors. They give my old hands extra grip and leverage when things get sticky, and they don’t damage the plastic connectors.

[Lily&Me]

Thanks for that tip, Mimi.

I googled those, and they look like just the thing I need.

I have something similar at home in my kitchen for stubborn jar lids.

I will put that on my list for the next trip to Walmart.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

One of the best purchases, ever...this little space heater.

After raining most of the night here, it is damp, damp, damp, tho not that chilly.

A drying warmth, and some of the ambience of my woodstove.

[Lily&Me]

We have been in rain for days, but it has now cleared up, the sun is shining and due to be so for awhile...yeayyy!

My seatmate on the plane from Dublin back to Chicago a couple of weeks ago, the young lady in IT who lives and works in Berlin, was an interesting and articulate companion.

As we were contemplating our respective abilities to catch a nap on the plane , she commented that she was one of those people who is able to sleep any where, any time, no problem.

“I consider it one of my superpowers”, she said.

My mind has drifted back to her and that conversation several times since I got home, and how spot-on and self-nurturing identifying an innate strength as a “super power” really is.

We all have them, tho their presence to the forefront of our minds may vary to greater or lesser degrees at any given point in time, for whatever reason.

Being a young woman in the work world, she may have attended trainings or in-services on identifying and putting to best use ones individual super powers.

It’s an interesting twist on what in the business we refer to as “strengths based” and worth in terms of bringing ones best self forward, reading and learning more about...IMHO

Good to remind ourselves at times of what we do exceedingly well, I think.

https://bringgratitude.com/how-to-di...r-superpowers/


https://www.lifehack.org/301920/10-q...ur-superpowers


I ordered one of these little 8” electric skillets from WalMart, and will pick it up tomorrow.

I left without my small InstantPot, thinking I wouldn’t need it for a month long trip, and it was one more thing to carry out in the ******* cold that morning, but miss having an electric means of cooking when I am plugged into and paying a premium price for it.

I also wish I had brought my collapsible water kettle, both of these very compact and will stow easily in the Interstate...next trip.

[OTRA15]

Hi Maggie, I am glad that your trip to Paris worked out, and that you are on to new adventures! Looking in the rear view mirror, have you had any thoughts about the lucky timing of your trip, given the spread of the Coronavirus in Europe recently? Traveling in international airports and airliners may not be as nearly-risk-free for a while IMO.

I am reminded of your old post about not ignoring red flags, while assessing risks.

Happy Trails,

Peter

[Lily&Me]

Hi Peter, and thank you.

It seems the danger of overseas travel has increased, as this virus has spread, and I’m glad my trip was when it was.

My friend is just coming back now, and I’m wondering what kind of obstacles she may face that I did not.

And the risk from the virus in this country is growing...so much that is not known.

I will continue to pay attention to any red flags, doing my best to sort what are common vs uncommon risks, and make decisions accordingly.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Added to my traveling toolkit...

One could use these as tourniquets in an emergency.

[TouringDan]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

One of the best purchases, ever...this little space heater.



After raining most of the night here, it is damp, damp, damp, tho not that chilly.



A drying warmth, and some of the ambience of my woodstove.

Maggie

That is a really neat little space heater. Could you provide a link please?

Thanks, Dan